Signia Cellion Hearing Aid Coming Fall 2016

We’ve just learned of an exciting new hearing aid Signia will release in the Fall of 2016. Following Phonak’s announcement earlier this week of their all new Phonak Audéo B-R rechargeable hearing aid, we now know that Signia will be releasing a competing product at around the same time. This new hearing aid, the Signia Cellion primax, will be based on the primax platform (as the name suggests) and will be powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

The Signia Cellion primax will be a RIC (receiver-in-canal) hearing aid available in either the 5PX or 7PX technology levels. Available in all of Signia’s 12 colors, the hearing aid will reportedly be only slighter larger than Signia’s best selling Pure Primax RIC. We except this hearing aid to be a perfectly discreet unit that is cosmetically acceptable for most wearers.

Cellion can be fitted with various domes or custom molds so that anyone can benefit from the new, rechargeable Cellion primax.

How will the Signia Cellion primax differ from Signia’s current rechargeable hearing aids?

Battery lifespan: The NiMH batteries that work with Signia’s current rechargeable hearing aids need to be replaced at least every year. Signia reports that the new lithium-ion batteries will last several years.

Battery capacity: Lithium-ion batteries offer substantially more energy than traditional zinc air batteries or NiMH batteries. With a single 4 hour charge, these batteries will provide power for at least 24 hours. A 30-minute “fast charge” immediately provides Cellion primax more than seven hours of run-time. If you’re using the earlier eCharger system with NiMH batteries, you’d have to charge the batteries for 8 hours to get 14-18 hours of use, so this is a significant improvement.

Ease of charging: Because these hearing aids make use of wireless inductive charging technology, the Cellion primax has no charging contacts. As you can see from this photo, this eliminates the hassle of exactly aligning the hearing aid inside a charger, making the entire system more reliable and convenient for wearers. Once the hearing instruments are placed in the charger, they turn themselves off automatically and immediately begin to charge. When the instruments are removed, the hearing aids intuitively know to turn themselves back on

Additional charging options: The earlier eCharger could be plugged into an electric outlet or an automobile’s cigerette/power port, but the new Cellio charger offers both of those options, plus added flexibility. The Cellio charger is equipped with a standard micro USB interface that gives wearers the freedom to charge their hearing aids with nearly any USB-compatible power source (e.g. laptops, car adapters, power packs).

Frequently asked questions about the Signia Cellion primax

As these hearing aids are brand new and not yet released, we do not have the answers to these questions in their entirety at this point. As more information becomes available we will update this post. If you have a question about this hearing aid that you don’t see answered below, please post a comment and we’ll get right back to you with an answer.

What happens when the lithium-ion battery dies and needs to be replaced?
The Li-ion battery will last several years and can be easily replaced by a hearing care professional, if necessary. The batteries have a lifespan of several years, easily lasting the entire life of the hearing aid. Even if battery exchange becomes necessary, it can be done by any hearing care professional. At this time we do not know what the cost for this service will be, or if it will be included in the hearing aid’s warranty.

Will there be any other changes to the primax platform on this new model?
The primax platform was only released in March of 2016 (4 months ago), so we don’t expect any changes to be made to the primax platform, and the press releases do not mention any changes. It appears as though the Cellion primax will be identical (in terms of audiological performance), to the Pure primax hearing aids.

How much will the Signia Cellion primax cost?
Through our company, the price of the Cellion Primax will be as follows:

Cellion primax 7px: $2149.00

Cellion primax 5px: $1699.00

How will streaming affect battery life?
Signia is reporting that streaming will not affect battery life, and that users will be able to get 24 hours of life even if they are streaming audio full time.

How much will the charging accessory cost?
To charge the Cellion hearing aids, you’ll be required to purchase what Signia is calling the “Cellion charger package.” Purchased separately, most hearing clinics charge about $400 for this accessory. ZipHearing includes this accessory with all Cellion purchases.

Our Synopsis

Rechargeable batteries and rechargeable hearing aids are top of the list of features that our customers are asking us about. Signia already led the rechargeable hearing aid market, and they were smart to double down on it with lithium-ion technology, as the trend is to move away from disposable batteries entirely, and lithium-ion batteries look poised to be the new gold standard for rechargeable hearing aids.

Since Siemens’s hearing aid unit was sold to Sivantos in early 2015, I’ve heard comments from customers and hearing providers alike who expressed concern about the future of Sivantos’s new Signia hearing aids, and whether or not it was wise to be investing in their technology. This release is a clear signal that Sivantos is hear to stay and will continue to develop cutting edge hearing aids that can compete with the best of them.

As soon as this hearing aid is available we’ll order one and create a dedicated product page, where you’ll be able to see 360 degree photos, color options, user reviews, pricing, and more. Stay tuned!

Jeff Hall Jeff is a licensed hearing aid dispenser and the President of ZipHearing- one of the largest discount hearing aid suppliers in the United States. Jeff lives in San Diego, CA with his wife and newborn daughter.